Jointer table and raising and lowering mechanism thereof



Aug. 27, 1957 w s TAYLOR 2,804,107

JOINTER TABLE AND RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREOF 4 Sheds-Sheet 1 Original Filed Sept. 13, 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS JOINTER TABLE AND RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREOF Original Filed Sept. 13, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR WILLIAM S. TAYLOR BY Mf/Q W ATTORNDS Aug. 27, 1957 w. s. TAYLOR JOINTER TABLE AND RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREOF Original Filed Sept. 13, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 R m V m ATTORNEYS Aug. 27, 1957 w, s TAYLOR 2,804,107

JQINTER TABLE AND RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREOF Original Filed Sept. 15, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 -7// ii 7 A 2/8 226 wig (iii 233 we 2/4 M8 228 234 I l 200 H INVENTOR \N\LL\AM 5. TAYLOR 3 A92 l3; v 230 90 ATTORNEYS United States PatentO JOINTER TABLE AND RAISING AND LQWER- ING MECHANESM THEREOF William S. Taylor, Three Lakes, Wis, assignor to Rockwell Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application September 13, 1951, Serial No. 246,422. Divided and this application October 10, 1955, Serial No. 543,199

12 Claims. 01. 144-129 The present invention relates to improvements in ma:

chine tools and more particularly to improvements in the construction of the table and raising and lowering mechanism thereof of wood working machines of the type known as jointers. This application is a division of application Serial No. 246,422, filed September 13, 1951, now Patent No. 2,758,617, dated August 14, 1956.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel jointer table of an improved construction and arrangement which facilitates adjustment and operation thereof and which greatly reduces the possibility of injury to the operator during such operation and adjustment.

In adjusting and operating jointers of the prior art, it has been necessary for the operator to stoop down to read the scales for the various adjustments, to move from place to place about the machine to effect these adjustments and to expose himself to unguarded portions of the cutter knives during many of such operations. The necessity of frequently moving around the machine and stooping to read the scales thereof in making the necessary adjustments results in addition in lost time and motion of the operator, increases the rapidity with which he tires, and results, therefore, in a considerable loss of overall efiiciency of the operator rendering him more susceptible to injury. These disadvantages of prior art constructions become particularly apparent in the operation of heavy duty jointers.

More specifically, therefore, it is an important object of this invention to provide a jointer of such improved construction and arrangement that the necessary adjustments of the machine may be made and the indications thereof can be read by an operator while standing in his normal upright position without bending or stooping.

A further ancillary object ofthis invention is to provide axnew andimproved mechanism for adjustingthe vertical position of the work support table of a jointer which is of such construction and arrangement that adjustment of-the depth ofcut may be effected with little effort by an operator standing in substantially erect operating position at one end of the jointer.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hollow table base having laterally spaced side walls providing longitudinally centered, laterally spaced, semi-circular cutter head bearing seats or cradles and respective laterally spaced, longitudinally directed, V-guideways inclined downwardly in opposite directions from the respective bearing seats or cradles with respective pivot or fulcrum pins extending vertically upwardly adjacent and inwardly of the lower end of one of the V-guideways to slidably cooperate with one of the arms of respective generally horizontally swinging crank arms carried by slidably related front and'rear table structures and having their other respective arms slidably connected to laterally feedingnut and feed screw mechanisms respectively carried by the two table structures and arranged to elfect selective fulcruming movement of the respective crank arms around their associated base supported pivot pins and relative'movement of the table structure along their respective V-guideways.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will become more fully apparent by reference to the appended claims and to the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a jointer embodying the improved structural features of the present invention with certain portions of the table and fence broken away;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the jointer of Figure 1, similar parts being broken away;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the front work support table adjusting mechanism taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of such mech anism taken along the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an irregular fragmentary sectional view of such mechanism taken along the line 66 of Figure 5.

The improved jointer of the present invention is shown in Figure l in a side elevational view, being viewed from the side at which the operator stands while operating the machine. As therein shown, this jointer assembly comprises a supporting cabinet 20, in which the jointer drive motor 22 is mounted, a main jointer base 24 mounted centrally of the top of cabinet 20; a front work support table 26 and a rear work support table 28, both of which are mounted on the main base 24 for translatory mov ment relative thereto along vertically inclined guideways, an adjustable work guide fence assembly 30; and a cutter guard 32 pivotally mounted upon a rabbeting arm 34 carried by the front work support table 26. The present invention provides an improved arrangement and con struction for jointers by which the operator may make and lock all adjustments of the fence and of the support tables while standing in his normal operating position beside the machine and without danger of injury to himself.

Table structure and cutter head mounting The base 24 of the jointer is fixed on the top of the cabinet structure just described by suitable securing means (not shown). A cylindrical cutter head 82 is journalled centrally of the ends of base 24 for rotary movement about a transversely extending axis lying in the vertical transverse center plane of base 24 which slopes downwardly from the approximate horizontal center plane of the cutter head to provide inclined table guide ways 84 and 86. The tables 26 and 28 are mounted upon base 24 for translatory movement relative thereto along these guideways 84 and 86 respectively and at their opposing inner ends are undercut as indicated at 87 to extend over the cutter heads and define a cutter head opening therebetween. The translatory movement of tables 26 and 28 eflfects vertical adjustment of the top planar work support surfaces 88 and 0 respectively relative to the cutter head 82, the undercut table ends being of a configuration to cover the cutter heads in all positions of adjustment except for the portion required to be exposed to secure the desired depth of cut (see Figure 1).

The cutter head and cutter head bearing mounting construction is best shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the base 24 is a generally hollow casting having side walls 94 and 96 joined by a pair of transverse webs 98 and 100 spaced outwardly from the vertical central plane. Coaxially aligned semi-cylindrical bearing seats or cradles 102 and 104 (Figures 1 and 3) are suitably machimed in the center of the top edges of side walls 94 and 06 respectively. Cylindrical bearing housings 106 and 108 having cylindrical bearing recesses therein, fiat top 3 surfaces and 112 and a configuration adapting them to fit in cradles 102 and 104 are respectively and rigidly secured therein by bolts 114 and 116 which extend upwardly through enlarged wall bosses 118 and 120 and threadedly engage suitably aligned, tapped holes formed in the bottom of the housings 106 and 108.

Cutter head 82 has a pair of coaxially aligned shaft sections 122 and 124, one projecting from each end thereof. The shaft section 122 is supported in the inner race of an anti-friction bearing 126 received within the recess designated 128 of bearing housing 106, while shaft 124 is supported by and extends through the inner race of a second anti-friction bearing 130 which is received within the recess designated 132 of bearing housing 108. Aligned through openings 131 cooperate with recesses 128 and 132 to permit the pulley shaft section, 124 in the illustration, to protrude beyond the walls of base 24. The opposite opening 131 is preferably closed by a plug 133 to seal the bearing recess from outside dust, etc. The cutter head 82 is, thus, journalled for rotation at the top of base 24 about a transversely extending axis normal to the base side wall 94 and 96.

The outboard end of shaft 124 projecting through coaxially aligned bore 131 in housing 108 has a double sleeve pulley 138 secured thereto by a key 140. The cutter head 82 is driven from motor 22 through a pair of V-belts 142 which extend between pulley 138 and a double sleeve drive pulley 144 aligned therewith and keyed to the motor shaft 146.

The cutter head may be removed for adjustment or sharpening of the blades thereof by removing the bolts 114, and 116, and disengaging the V-belts 142 from pulley 148. For this purpose, the lower edge of the sidewalls 94 and 96 of base 24 are recessed as indicated at permitting access to bolts 114 and 116. The bearing housings 106 and 108 are thus freed from their cradles 102 and 104 on the base 24 so that the whole cutter assembly 82, the bearings 126 and 130, and their housings 106 and 108 may be lifted from the base 24 as a subassembly.

Work support table mounting Tables 26 and 28, as previously indicated, are mounted on base 24 for translatory movement along inclined guideways 84 and 86 respectively, so that the elevation of their planar work support surface 88 and 90 can be adjusted vertically relative to the cutter head 82. As shown in Figure 4, which is a fragmentary transverse section normal to the plane of table movement 84 and to the direction of movement of table 26, being taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1, table 26 is guided for inclined translatory movement toward the cutter head 82 relative to base 24 by the coaction of machined planar V-guideways 151 and 152 of the left side wall 154 of table 26 with parallel machined planar V-guideways 158 and 160 on the base 24, and of V-guideway 166 of the right side Wall 168, with parallel V-guideway 174 of base 24 and an elongated gib 176 interposed between the surface 177 and V guideway 178 and engaging way 174. These surfaces all extend in the direction of translatory movement of the table 26 relative to the base 24 to form dovetail guideways. Gib 176 is provided near one end with a conical recess which receives the conical end of an adjusting screw 179. This construction, together with an additional spaced set screw (not shown) adapted to abut the outer'face of gib 176, provides an adjustment for taking up the lateral play between the base 24 and the table 26 to assure a free sliding but accurate support for the table and accomodate for wear. When it is necessary to take up any lateral play resulting from wear of the engaged surfaces, the screw 1'79 and the said set screw (not shown) are screwed in to move the gib 176 toward the surface 1'78 and thus eliminate such play.

The movement of table 26 relative to base'24 along these guideways is controlled by a combination feed screw and bell crank linkage now to be described. As shown best in Figure 6, a boss 182, having a bore 184 formed therethrough, is formed on the under side of a transversely extending wall 185 of base 24. A pivot pin 186, having an enlarged upper portion 188 is mounted in bore 184 being fixed therein by a nut 190 threaded onto its lower end. A boss 192, which is integrally formed on the underside of the top of front table 26, is provided with a threaded bore 194 in which the threaded end 196 of a pivot pin 198 is received.

As is best shown in Figure 5, which is fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1 showing the table raising and lowering mechanism. pin 198 is the fixed pivot on table 26 by which a bell crank 20% is mounted while the enlarged end 188 of pin 186 forms a pivot fixed to the base 24 with which the bell crank is rockably and slidably engaged. The side walls 154 and 168 of front table 26 are formed, respectively, with aligned bores 202 and 204 in which the ends of a shaft 206 are journalled, a support bushing 207 being provided in bore 202. The central portion of shaft 206 is threaded as shown at 208, and an externally cylindrical nut 210, formed with coaxially opposed protruding pins 212 and 213, is threadedly received on the threaded portion 208 of shaft 206.

Bell crank 200 has two mutually perpendicular arms 214 and 215. The end of arm 214 is in the form of an axially opening slot while the end of arm 215 is in the form of a yoke 216a, which partially straddles the cylindrical nut 210, the pins 212 and 213 being received in axially opening slots of the respective yoke arms. The end 188 of pin 186 is received in the end slot of arm 214.

Raising and lowering of the front table 26 is effected by rotation of the shaft 206 through a suitable handwheel or crank arm 217 fixed to the end thereof exteriorly of the wall 154, as is shown in Figure 4, by key 218 and set screw 219. When the shaft 206 is rotated, the nut 210, being held against rotation between the upper and lower yoke arms of the bell crank arm 215, moves axially along threaded shaft portion 208. Pins 212 and 213, which rockably and slidably engage the end slots of the opposed arms of yoke 216a, cause the bell crank 200 to rock about pin 198 relative to table 26 as the nut 210 moves axially of shaft 206. The pin 186 being rigidly secured to the base 24 and rockably and slidably engaged with the end slot of bell crank arm 214, rocking movement of the bell crank 200 about pin 198 tends to pivot the bell crank about pin 186. Since pin 198 as well as shaft 206 and nut 210 are relatively fixed to the front table 26, this pivotal movement of bell crank 200 about pin 186 moves table 26 along the inclined plane of base 24 on the dovetailed guideways. The arm 215, as illustrated, is approximately twice the length of arm 214 so that the mechanical advantage of the screw and nut mechanism is doubled. This greatly facilitates movement of the table by the handwheel 217 which also affords a mechanical advantage.

An adjusting mechanism, like that just described in relation to table 26, is used for adjustment of the rear table 28 along plane 86, the translatory movement of table 28 being controlled by identical dovetailed guideways as table 26.

The end of the shaft 206, opposite to that to which the handle 217 is secured, is provided with means for locking the shaft 206 in a fixed position relative to the table 26 after an adjustment has been made. For this purpose, a pair of opposed transversely directed lock dogs 220 and 221, the outer ends of which are machined flat and the inner ends of which are hemispherical, are received in a diametrically extending bore 222 of shaft 206. A screw 224 having a conical inner end is threadedly received in an end bore formed coaxially in the end of shaft 206 and intersecting bore 222. When the screw 224 is threaded into the end of the shaft 206, the conical inner end bears against the hemispherical ends of dogs 220 and 221 and forces them radially outward of bore 222 into frictional engagement with the Wall of the bore 204 to prevent relative rotation between the shaft 206 and the table 26. An operating handle or knob 226 is suitably fixed to the end of screw 224 to facilitate manipulation thereof, at least for the front table which is frequently adjusted to vary the depth of cut. Since the rear table 28 usually remains in a relatively permanent adjusted position, the screw 224 on the rear table locking means need not be provided with such a handle.

' Referring now to Figures 1 and 6, the base 24 has cast into its inclined edges on the operating side of the machine adjacent table 26 an elongated depression 228 having a planar surface inclined both longitudinally and transversely of the base 24. A flat graduated scale 230 is secured to this inclined planar surface by screws 232. A cooperating pointer 233 is secured to the exterior side wall 154 of front table 26 in position above scale 239 by screw- 234 and coacts with scale 230 to provide an indication of the vertical distance ofwork surface 88 of table 26 below the cutting plane of cutter head 82. Scale 230. is graduated to indicate, in fractions of an inch, the depth of cut which, of course, is dependent upon the adjustment of the height of-the front table 26.

As the front table 26 ismoved up or down its guide way, these coacti-ng, relatively movable, angularly disposed, indicating elements will provide an indication of the depth of out, which is readily visible to the operator while in his normal standing position at the left side of the front table, byfwhich he can conveniently adjust the table. to the desired depth of cut by manipulating handle. 217; while. reading the indicated depth of cut upon the scale 23.0. This adjustment may-be performed by the operator while standing in his normal erect operating position without bending his head and body around to the side, of thejointer as has been. necessary in prior art devices. Minor adjustments. of this depth of cutter indicator may be readily effected by loosening pointer securing screw 234 and rotating. the pointer in the desired direction around screw 234. In this way, the depth of cut indication may be, within reasonable limits, kept accurate in spite of grinding and honing of the cutter blades.

Adjustment of rear table 28 to maintain it in the cutting. plane ofcutter head 82 is effected in. the same way as, adjustment of table 26 The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a base member having an in clined guideway and work support table member mounted on said base member for translatory movement relative thereto along said inclined guideway: means for shifting the positione of said table member along said guideway comprising a feed screw mounted on one of said members for rotation about an axis transverse to the path of relative movement of said members; a hand wheel for rotating said feed screw; and a drive train driven by said feed screw and operable to effect translatory movement of said table member along said guideway in either direction.

2. In a jointer, a base member formed with an inclined rectilinear guideway; a table member mounted on said base member for translatory movement along said guideway; a hand wheel operated feed screw assembly mounted for rotation on one of said members about an axis transverse to the path of relative movement of said members; and a drive connection adapted to be driven by said feed screw to effect translatory movement of said table member along said guideway.

3. In a jointer, a base formed with an inclined rectilinear guideway; a work support table mounted on said base for translatory movement through an inclined path along said guideway; and means for shifting said table along said inclined guideway comprising a manually rotatable shaft journalled in said table for rotation about an axis transverse to the path of movement of said table, a bell crank mounted on said table for pivotal movement in a plane parallel to the path of table movement, a bell crank pivot fixedto said base, means rockably and slidably coupling one arm of said bell crank to said fixed pivot, and means coupling the other arm of said bell crank to said shaft so that rotation of the latter will impart pivotal movement to said bell crank relative to said table and translatory movement to said table relative to said fixed pivot of said base.

4. In a jointer, a base formed with an inclined rectilinear guideway; a table mounted on said base for translatory movement through an inclined path along said guideway; and means for shifting said table along said inclined guideway comprising a manually rotatable screw journalled in said table for rotation about an axis transverse to the path of movement of said table, a bell crank mounted on said table for pivotal movement in a path parallel to the plane of movement of said table, a pivot fixed to said base, means rockably and slidably coupling one arm of said bell crank to said fixed pivot, a nut threadedly engaged with said screw, and means rockably and slidably connecting said nut to the other arm of said bell crank for guiding said nut for translatory movement along said screw so that rotation of said screw will impart pivotal movement to said bell crank relative to said table and translatory movement of said table relative to the fixed pivot on said base.

5. In a jointer a base; a rotary cutter head mounted on said base; atable having a planar work support surface and mounted on said base for adjustment of the level of said support surface relative to said cutter head; an indicator comprising a pair of relatively movable indicator elements fixed respectively to said table and to said base in such an upwardly facing inclined position that their relative position and indication is clearly visible from above the level of said work support surface by an operator standing in an erect position; and means manipulatable by an operator while standing in an erect position adjacent said table for shifting the vertical position of said table relative to said cutter head.

6. A jointer comprising a supporting base having a cutter head support cradle intermediate its ends and downwardly sloping table guideways extending longitudinally in opposite directions from the longitudinal plane of said support cradle; a cutter head removable secured in said support cradle; a longitudinally extending infeed table slidably mounted on one of said guideways for translatory movement therealong and having a horizontally disposed work support surface and an undercut recess at one end to freely receive the upper portion of said cutter head; a longitudinally extending outfeed support table mounted on the other of said guideways for translatory movement therealong and having a horizontally disposed work support surface adapted to lie in a plane tangent to the cutting plane of said cutter head; table adjusting means for said infeed table accessible from one side of said base and table by an operator standing in an erect position at said one side of said base and table and adapted upon actuation thereof to vary the vertical relation between the work support surface of said table and cutting plane of said cutter head thereby determining the depth of cut of said jointer; a longitudinally extending scale mounted on said base at said one side of said base with its indicating surface facing upwardly and inclined to the plane of the guideway for said infeed table whereby said scale is readily visible to an operator standing in 7 normal operating position at said one side of said base and table; and a pointer mounted on said infeed table in juxtaposition to said scale and adapted to cooperate with said scale to indicate the depth of cut for all adjusted positions of said infeed table along its guideway.

7. In a jointer, a base member formed with an inclined rectilinear guideway; a work support table member mounted on said base member for translatory movement through an inclined path along said guideway; and means for shifting said table member along said inclined guideway comprising a manually rotatable shaft jourualled on one of said members for rotation about an axis transverse to the path of relative movement of said members, a bell crank mounted on said one member for pivotal movement in a plane parallel to the path of table movement, a bell crank pivot fixed to the other of said members, means rockably and slidably coupling one arm of said bell crank to said fixed pivot, and means coupling the other arm of said bell crank to said shaft so that rotation of the latter will impart pivotal movement to said bell crank relative to said one member and translatory movement to said table member relative to said base member.

8. In a jointer, a base member formed with an inclined rectilinear guideway; a table member mounted on said base member for translatory movement through an inclined path along said guideway; and means for shifting said table member along said inclined guideway comprising a manually rotatable screw journalled on one of said members for rotation about an axis transverse to the path of relative movement of said members, a bell crank mounted on said one member for pivotal movement in a path parallel to the plane of movement of said table, a pivot fixed to the other of said members, means rockably and slidably coupling one arm of said bell crank to said fixed pivot, a nut threadedly engaged with said screw, and means rockably and slidably connecting said nut to the other arm of said bell crank for guiding said nut for translatory movement along said screw so that rotation of said screw will impart pivotal movement to said bell crank relative to said other member and translatory movement of said table member relative to said base member.

9. In a jointer, a base member having an inclined guideway, a work support table member mounted on said base member for translatory movement relative thereto along said inclined guideway, a table position adjusting element mounted on the front of one of said members for rotation about an axis transverse to the path of relative movement between said members, means controlled by said element for shifting said table along said guideway, and upwardly facing means visible by an operator standing erect in front of the jointer for indicating the adjusted position of said table member.

10. In a jointer having a base member and a table member vertically adjustably mounted thereon, a depth of cut indicator comprising a scale mounted in such upwardly facing inclined relation on one of said members as to be clearly readable by an operator standing in an erect position and a pointer mounted on the other of said members in cooperative relation with said scale.

11. The jointer of claim 6 together with table adjusting means for said outfeed table accessible from said one side of said base and table by an operator standing in an erect position at said one side of said base and table and adapted upon actuation thereof to selectively adjust the vertical relation of the work support surface of said table to the cutting plane of said cutter head thereby assuring level passage of a work piece throughout its movement across said jointer table surfaces.

12. The jointer of claim 11 wherein each of said table adjusting means comprises a manually rotatable shaft jourualled in its respective table for rotation about an axis transverse to the path of table movement; a bell crank mounted on said table for pivotal movement in a plane parallel to the path of table movement; a bell crank pivot fixed to said base; means rockably and slidably coupling one arm of said bell crank to said fixed pivot; and means coupling the other arm of said bell crank to said shaft so that rotation of the latter will impart pivotal movement to said bell crank relative to said table and translatory movement to said table relative to said fixed pivot of said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

